Pope Leo XIV Visit to Istanbul’s Blue Mosque draws praise, criticism and renewed calls for interfaith dialogue
According to observers in Istanbul on Saturday, the Pope Leo XIV Visit to the city’s famed Blue Mosque marked one of the most symbolically charged moments of his first overseas tour.
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The American pontiff, elected in May as head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, stepped inside a Muslim place of worship for the first time since succeeding his late predecessor, Francis.
The Blue Mosque, known for its six minarets, sweeping domes and brilliant blue Iznik tiles, provided a striking backdrop as Leo removed his shoes and walked across the burnt orange carpet in white socks, an image that drew smiles from aides who know of his affection for the Chicago White Sox.
The pontiff spent around fifteen minutes inside while Muslim dignitaries guided him beneath the cavernous domes, where a lone crow swooped overhead, circling in search of an exit.
“As far as we saw, he wanted to feel the atmosphere of the mosque and he was very pleased,” said Askin Tunca, the muezzin of the Blue Mosque, reflecting what many described as a surprisingly warm encounter.
Outside, reactions were mixed. Several tourists beamed at the visit, with one Italian traveller calling papal journeys “a beautiful thing because he brings peace with him”.
A Turkish street vendor selling grilled corn noted that the meeting of different cultures was vital, though he criticised the heavy security that kept the public at a distance.
Others expressed frustration at being turned away from a place of prayer they had travelled long hours to reach.
The Pope Leo XIV Visit echoed the steps of Benedict XVI in 2006 and Francis in 2014, though Leo notably avoided the nearby Hagia Sophia, a site whose reconversion from museum to mosque in 2020 drew global condemnation.
The decision not to visit the monument appeared deliberate, allowing Leo to maintain a measured tone at a location steeped in political and religious sensitivity.
Later in the day, Leo was scheduled to meet local church leaders at the Patriarchal Church of St George before signing a joint declaration with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I at his palace on the Golden Horn.
A Mass at the Volkswagen Arena was set to follow, drawing an expected crowd of around 4,000 worshippers.
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On Sunday, after leading services at the Armenian cathedral and at St George’s, the pope will depart for Lebanon, continuing a tour that Vatican officials describe as a powerful opportunity to strengthen interfaith ties during an unsettled global moment.
